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DailyFinance brings together some of the industry's top experts on finance, business news and analysis. We have come together with one common goal - to provide you the information you need, when you need it, to help you live a better life financially.

Sunday marks the five-year anniversary of when the stock market bottomed out after the financial crisis.

The S&P 500 has nearly tripled since March 9, 2009, and the Dow has moved from 6,547 back then to close Thursday at 16,421 -- that's a gain of nearly 10,000 points.

Remember, the market plunge was caused by the financial crisis. So guess which sector has been among the best performers during the past five years? Yes, financials. Tech and consumer discretionary stocks have also been stellar performers.

The stock market boom is prompting start-up companies to go public at the fastest pace since the turn of the century. According to Dealogic, 42 companies had initial public offerings in the first two months of this year, more than doubling the pace of last year.

This extended bull market, with IPO fever running rampant, reminds some market watchers of the period just before the Internet bubble burst in 2000.

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But there are plenty of others who say that's an unfair comparison, and that this bull still has plenty of room left to run.

A lot of the focus today is on the monthly jobs report. It's interesting to note that a lot more people are picking up and moving to a new area of the country to take a new job -- something we saw very little of in recent years. The relocation numbers come from the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which says this trend is a sign of a strengthening economy.

Finally, Safeway (SWY) has agreed to be acquired for $9 billion by the parent company of the Albertsons chain. But reports say the nation's leading supermarket chain, Kroger (KR), could still come in with a higher bid.

-Produced by Drew Trachtenberg.

Interest rates are low, but that's no excuse to accept 0.01 percent interest rates on your savings. Just a little shopping can find you many FDIC-insured savings accounts paying as much as 1 percent in interest, usually with no fees and easy availability to your money through electronic funds transfers. Compared to the near-zero rates that uninsured money-market mutual funds and other alternatives pay, high-interest savings accounts are a much safer way to save.

Banks still try to get customers to pay more for less, with one recent threat to charge fees for basic deposit accounts if the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates further. But many online banks not only offer fee-free options on their checking and savings accounts but also pay interest, and many have extensive fee-free ATM networks or reimbursement arrangements. If your bank follows through on threats to raise fees, taking your business elsewhere is your best move.

Bankrate reports that the average credit card charges around 16 percent in interest. That's a guaranteed money-maker for the banks that issue cards, but a big loser for those who carry balances on their cards. With many cards offering promotional interest rates as low as 0 percent, using them to get rid of high-interest cards is a no-brainer move and can help you pay your debt down faster.

Mistakes on your credit history can keep you from getting a loan that you want to buy your next home or car, but they can also have consequences you'd never imagine. Increasingly, insurance companies, apartment rental agents, and even prospective employers order copies of your credit report to see if you're financially responsible. Be sure to take advantage of your free credit check at the government's annualcreditreport.com website to make sure the three big credit-rating agencies have everything right before mistakes come back to bite you.

Payday loans have gotten more tightly regulated recently, but banks and other financial institutions still offer ways to let you get quicker access at your cash -- for a hefty fee. Resorting to short-term money fixes can land you in even more problematic situations down the road, because those solutions often create debt spirals from which it's hard to emerge unscathed. Set up an emergency fund instead and be prepared in advance for the money woes that life throws your way.

Interest rates have risen during the last half of 2013, with a typical 30-year mortgage carrying a 4.5 percent interest rate. But many homeowners still carry higher-interest mortgages from before the financial crisis. Now that home prices have risen, you might be able to refinance for the first time, and many homeowners have used lower rates to cut hundreds from their mortgage payment or shift to a shorter-term 15-year mortgage to pay off their debt faster.

Too many people never update their insurance coverage to deal with changes in their coverage needs, whether it comes from changes in family status for life insurance, health conditions for health-care or long-term care insurance, or even what types of property you own for homeowners' insurance. Don't wait for disaster to strike; check with your insurer or agent to see if your current coverage meets your needs.

In the past, investors had to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars just to make a simple stock purchase. Now, though, the rise of discount brokers, low-fee index funds and exchange-traded funds, and freely available investment news and advice have made it silly to spend large amounts to get access to the financial markets. If you're still paying your broker too much to invest, look into alternatives that can help you avoid cutting serious money out of your retirement nest egg.

Everyone likes a tax break, and one of the best ones for you to use involves making contributions to a tax-favored retirement account. By putting money in an IRA or 401(k), you can reduce your current taxable income and save on your taxes while also preparing for the future. With 401(k)s, your employer might even chip in a bit on your behalf. Even when times are tough, finding even small amounts to save can put time on your side and make a big difference down the road.

Many investors found out the hard way this year that bonds aren't as safe as they thought, with some major bond funds posting double-digit percentage losses in 2013. Despite those losses, bonds still carry substantial risk in 2014, with many calling for imminent interest-rate hikes that would erode their value further. Even now, bond rates are so low that they don't compensate you much for their risk.

In contrast to bonds, stocks have soared in 2013. That has some investors finally piling into the market for the first time since 2008 and 2009, while others remain shell-shocked from the massive losses they incurred back then during the financial crisis. Even with the Dow Jones Industrials (^DJI) and other major market benchmarks near all-time record highs, it makes sense to have some stock exposure in your portfolio. Just don't go overboard in the false belief that gains of 20 percent and 30 percent will happen every year.

If you pay full price for just about anything these days, you're paying too much. The rise of deep-discount stores has led to falling prices at stores and shopping malls. Moreover, online tools like coupon sites, daily-deal offers, discounted gift cards, and cash-back credit-card deals can cut your costs as well. With all these tools, you won't find many situations in which you have no chance of getting a bargain on the items you want.

In the past, many young adults focused on getting into as strong a college as they could, figuring that their degree would pay them enough to make up for the costs they incurred. With college graduates facing a more challenging job environment than ever, smart students are thinking about college costs before they make a decision on a school. By maximizing financial aid and looking at lower-tuition schools with nearly as strong educational quality, you can avoid creating a big debt hole that you'll struggle with for years into the future.

If you don't have a will, a power of attorney for financial and health-care matters, and an advance directive to tell medical professionals whether you want certain life-preserving measures taken if something happens to you, then you're putting your family at risk. Many people don't have even these basic estate-planning documents, but getting them in place is easier and less expensive than most believe. Get your affairs taken care of in 2014 and save your loved ones some big future hassles.

Resolving to be more financially astute and to avoid common mistakes will help you get your finances in order more quickly. These tips should give you more money to help you meet all your financial goals.

Introduction to Economic Indicators

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Mr. Arnold

this looser thinks we are in a stronger economy. the market fell because of massive mortage loan defaults, a problem that still exists with no end in sight. the inflationary aspects of the depression, yes we are in a depression, are obvious in food, fuel, and market investments. a look at the number of failing companies would scare most investors, like warren buffet, away. but with no hope for a return from savings or bonds those in need of revenue are willing to roll the dice.

And now Steve Irwin's family is joining the Sea World Killer Whale foras. What part of "killer" don't they get ? I love Sea World but some things are just plain wrong, like people getting near 6 ton killers. And now the Irwins are joining in. There is a group wise on animal safety - not.For those not up on Steve Irwin, he was killed following deadly stingrays. Really, it's amazing he lived as long as he did. Big deadly fish belong in the sea. Throw them back, please.

Also says on here Washington is punishing Russia for Crimea rejoining Russia. Why ?They were originally together as the Soviet Union anyhow. In many ways Russia and the Russian people are just like us. With China gobbling up everything especially jobs, we need to work together with Russia. If Putin thinks he needs to adjust Crimea we should support him. China would never let us fly our asronauts on their spacecraft but Russia has helped us. I'm no red but I know friends when I see them.

Lets see Staples is closing 250 store, Radio shack is closing about 1100 stores Dodge is laying off workers gas is going up heating oil is going up food is going up again so lets just say everything is wonderful an raise the stock market

Also on here it says wheat and corn prices are expected to rise because of the unrest in the Ukraine. To start with, there is no unrest in the Ukraine, they simply joining back with Russia only not as the previous Soviet Union (nastrovia). We are better today at growing wheat and corn than we have ever been. We're already up to 200 bushels to the acre and in a few years we expect 300 bushels. We are so good at producing wheat that bread is actually cheaper than water : A 16 ounce bottle of Zepherhills water is 99 cents and a 20 ounce loaf of white bread is also 99 cents (4 ounces more).